Amusement device



- July 21, 1959 R. c. MORSS AMUSEMENT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 7, 1957 Y S g i INVENTOR.

Ecaazwn- C. Movzss United States Patent AMUSEMENT DEVICE Robert C. Moms, Braddyville, Iowa ApplicationJune 7, 1957, Serial'No. 664,435

2 Claims. (Cl. 46-43) "Thepresent invention relates to an amusement device or a toy of the type having plural connected runways and trackways over which a ball rolls.

An object of the present invention is to provide an amusement device which lends itself to amusing play by children.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an amusement device which lends itself for use as a display to attract attention.

A further object of the present invention is to pro- 'vide an amusement device which is sturdy in construction, onesimple in structure, economically manufactured and assembled, and one which 'is highly effective in action.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of the amusement device according to the present invention;

"Figure la is a schematic view showing the direction of movement of the rolling ball in its path of travel on the amusement device of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an isometric view similar to Figure 1 .but taken from the rear;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the amusement device according to the present invention comprises a fiat base and a standard 12 rising from the base 10, the standard 12 having a pair of faces 14 and 16 arranged in parallel spaced relation and a connecting face 18 extending between one of the adjacent ends of the pair of faces 14 and 16.

Each of the pair of faces 14 and 16 has two side edges and a vertically disposed row of spaced holes inwardly of and adjacent each side edge, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, and sloping runways for a 'ball 20 connect the holes of the complemental rows together. The holes of the row adjacent one of the side edges of said pair of faces being at a higher level than the holes of the row adjacent the other of the side edges of said pair of faces.

The standard 12 has an upwardly sloping first runway 22 adjacent to and spaced from the top thereof and has one end opening out of the uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent one of the side edges of one or face 14 of the pair of faces 14 and 16 and has the other end terminating at a point spaced from and inwardly of the uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent the 2,895,257 Patented July 21, 1959 is positioned below and spaced from the runway 22 and has one end opening out of the uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent the other of the side edges of the oneor face 14 of the pair of faces 14 and 16 and has the other end opening out of the uppermost hole of the ,row of. holes adjacent the complementalother of the side edges of the other or face 16 of the pair of faces 14 and 16.

.Another or third downwardly sloping continuous runway is positioned below and spaced from the runway 26 and is designated by the reference numeral 28. The

runway 28 has one end opening out of the next uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent the one side edge ofisaid one or face 14 of thepair of faces '14 and 16 and has thetother end opening out of the next uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent the complemental one of the side edges of the other orface 16 of the pair of faces 14 and 16.

Downwardly sloping continuous fourth, fifth, and other runways to any desired number, are positioned below and spaced from the third runway and alternately extend from one face 14 to the other face 16 with their ends opening out of other holes of the respective rows adjacent the two side edges of the faces 14 and 16. Such fourth andother runways are designated generally by the reference numeral 30 in Figure '1.

Projecting outwardly from each of the faces 14 and 16 of the standard 12 are a plurality-of spaced slopingledges each having a groove therein to form a trackway. A first downwardly sloping trackway 32 is fixedly carried by the face '16 and has one end adjacent to and in communication with the lower end of the runway 22. The other end of the trackway 32 is in communication with the adjacent end of the runway 26 the latter being shown in dotted lines in Figure 2.

A downwardly sloping second trackway 34 is fixedly carried by the face 14 and has-one end in communication with the other end of the runway 26 and has the other end in communication with the upper end of the third runway 28.

A downwardly sloping third trackway 36 is fixedly carried by the face 16 of the standard 12 and has one end in communication with the other end of the runway 28, as shown in Figure 2.

Fourth, fifth, and other trackways, designated by the reference numeral 38, to any number desired, are positioned below and spaced from each other and spaced below the third trackway 36 on the one face 16 and also below the second trackway 34 on the one face 14 and have their one ends in communication with the adjacent open end of the associated runway 30 and their other ends in communication with the adjacent other ends of the runway 30.

The lowermost runway 30, or if only four runways are provided in the standard 12, then the fourth runway does not extend through from the face 16 to the face 14 but slopes downwardly and has one end opening out of the face 16 and the other end terminating at a point spaced from the face 14. An upwardly sloping delivery runway 40 (Figures 3 and 5), is provided in the stand ard 12 and has one end opening out of the connecting face 18 and the other end connected in communication with the terminating point of the lowermost runway 30'. The delivery runway 40 is positioned adjacent to and spaced above the base 10.

The standard 12 is provided with a charging runway 42 having one end extending inwardly from the connecting face 18 adjacent to and spaced above the first runway 22 and having the other end connected in communication with the terminating point 24 of the runway 22, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. V

'The connecting face 18 is provided with a vertically extending trackway 44 in which is slidable a block 46 having a recess 48 in one face thereof. The block 46 is arranged in abutting face to face relation with the face 18 with the recess 48 in its abutting face. The block 46 constitutes a carriage connected to the face 18 for upward and downward movement. Normally, the block 46 is positioned with the recess 48 in registry with the discharge or lower end of the delivery runway 40 but upon execution of upward movement of the block 46 responsive to a manually applied pulling force on a cord 50, the recess 48 in the block 46 becomes in registry with the upper end of the charging runway 42. The cord 50, as shown in Figure 2, has one end anchored in an eye formation 52 in the upper end of the trackway 44 and has an intermediate portion extending through a second eye formation 54 fixed to the lower end of the block 46. The cord 50 then extends through another eye formation 56 in the upper end of the trackway 44 on the side opposite to the first eye formation 52 and has a portion adjacent its other end hanging freely for grasping by the fingers of an individual when desired.

In Figure la, the travel of a ball 20 is shown schematically. Upon introducing a ball 20 into the charging runway 42', the ball will successively roll downwardly through the runway 22, over the trackway 32', thence through runway 26, over trackway 34, through runway 28, over trackway 36' and over the following runways 30' and trackways 38 to the delivery runway 40 and thence into the recess in the block, the latter not being shown in this view.

Upon pulling of the cord 50, the block 46 is caused to execute its upward movement and upon reaching the upper end of the trackway 44, the balls 20 will roll one at a time from the recess 48 into the charging runway 42 and thence downwardly over the runways and trackways of the block as heretofore described.

What is claimed is:

1. In an amusement device, a base, a standard rising from said base, said standard having a pair of faces arranged in parallel spaced relation, and a connecting face extending between one of the adjacent ends of said pair of faces, each of said pair of faces having two side edges and a vertically disposed row of spaced holes inwardly of and adjacent each side edge, the holes of the row adjacent one of the side edges of said pair of faces being at a higher level than the holes of the row adjacent the other of the side edges of said pair of faces, said standard having an upwardly sloping first runway adjacent to and spaced from the top thereof and having one end opening out of the uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent one of the side edges of one of said pair of faces and having the other end terminating at a point spaced from and inwardly of the uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent the complemental one of the side edges of the other of said pair of faces, a downwardly sloping continuous second runway positioned below and spaced from said first runway and having one end opening out of the uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent the other of the side edges of said one of said pair of faces and having the other end opening out of the uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent the complemental other of the side edges of said other of said pair of faces, and a downwardly sloping continuous third runway positioned below and spaced from said second runway and having one end opening out of the next uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent said one side edge of said one of said pair of faces and having the other end opening out of the next uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent the complemental one of the side edges of said other of said pair of faces, a downwardly sloping first trackway fixedly carried by said one of said faces and having one end in communication with said other end of said first runway and having the other end in communication with said one end of said second runway, a downwardly sloping second trackway fixedly carried by said other of said faces and having one end in communication with said other end of said second runway and having the other end in communication with said one end of said third runway, a downwardly sloping third trackway fixedly carried by said one of said faces and having one end in communication with said other end of said third runway, there being a charging runway having one end extending inwardly from said connecting face adjacent to and above said first runway and having the other end in communication with the terminating point of said first runway, a carriage normally positioned in registry with a delivery runway provided in said standard intersecting said third runway and opening out of said connecting face and mounted on said connecting face for upward movement to a position in registry with said one end of said charging runway, and a manually actuable means operatively connected to said carriage for effecting the movement of the latter.

2. An amusement device comprising a base, a standard rising from said base, said standard having a pair of faces arranged in parallel spaced relation, and a connecting face extending between one of the adjacent ends of said pair of faces, each of said pair of faces having two side edges and a vertically disposed row of spaced holes inwardly of and adjacent each side edge, the holes of the row adjacent one of the side edges of said pair of faces being at a higher level than the holes of the row adjacent the other of the side edges of said pair of faces, said standard having an upwardly sloping first runway adjacent to and spaced from the top thereof and having one end opening out of the uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent one of the side edges of one of said pair of faces and having the other end terminating at a point spaced from and inwardly of the uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent the complemental one of the side edges of the other of said pair of faces, a downwardly sloping continuous second runway positioned below and spaced from said first runway and having one end opening out of the uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent the other of the side edges of said one of said pair of faces and having the other end opening out of the uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent the complemental other of the side edges of said other of said pair of faces, a downwardly sloping continuous third runway positioned below and spaced from said second runway and having one end opening out of the next uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent said one side edge of said one of said pair of faces and having the other end opening out of the next uppermost hole of the row of holes adjacent the complemental one of the side edges of said other of said pair of faces, and a downwardly sloping continuous fourth runway positioned below and spaced from said third runway and having one end opening out of the lowermost hole of the row of holes adjacent said one side edge of said one of said pair of faces and having the other end opening out of the lowermost hole of the row of holes adjacent the complemental one of the side edges of said other of said pair of faces, a downwardly sloping first trackway fixedly carried by said one of said faces and having one end in communication with said other end of said first runway and having the other end in communication with said one end of said second runway, a downwardly sloping second trackway fixedly carried by said other of said faces and having one end in communication with said other end of said second runway and having the other end in communication with said one end of said third runway, a downwardly sloping 5 6 third trackway fixedly carried by said one of said fettlrlzes References Cited in the file of this patent and having one end in communication with said 0 er end of said third runway, there being a charging runway UNITED STATES PATENTS having one end extending inwardly from said connecting 408,635 Sommer Aug. 6, 1889 face adjacent to and above said first runway and having 5 78,799 Marsden July 12, 1892 the other end in communication with the terminating 1,577,363 Richardson Mar. 16, 1926 point of said first runway, and an upwardly sloping de- 1,615,3 2 Nelson Jan. 25, 1927 livery runway positioned adjacent to and spaced above said base and intersecting said fourth runway and open- FOREIGN PATENTS ing out of said connecting face, and a carriage normally 10 45,703 Germany June 29, 1927 connected to said connecting face for upward movement 142,479 Switzerland Dec. 1, 1930 to a position in registry with said one end of said charg- 257,437 Switzerland Apr. 1, 1949 ing runway. 

